With digital transformation comes the daunting task of preparing a workforce for technologies like Big Data, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) that can address the massive demand coming from governments and businesses in India.

According to a top IBM executive, the time is ripe to start the journey right from schools and universities, leading to up-skilling and re-skilling the enterprise and start-up developers’ community in the country.

Between 2010 and 2030, India’s working population is expected to expand from 750 million to almost one billion.

“Without adequate education and training, such population growth poses an increased risk of the emergence of a growing class of under or unemployed. Skill is emerging as the new currency across businesses globally and in India,” Seema Kumar, Country Leader, Developer Ecosystem and Start-ups, IBM India/South Asia, told IANS.

“We believe the industry is no more bifurcated into blue-collar and white-collar jobs. The ‘new collar’ job community is embracing technology rapidly, forging deeper relationships with ecosystem partners and acquiring ‘in-demand’ skill-sets,” Kumar emphasised.

Sensing the urgent need to build a talent pool for the future, IBM recently announced a collaboration with the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) to spur emerging technology skills in the domestic telecom industry.

The agreement outlines a roadmap to build capabilities in the areas of information and communication technology (ICT) to provide the required and relevant skills for the telecom Industry.

“This collaboration will provide an opportunity to students and young professionals to get skilled in emerging technologies including Big Data, Cloud Computing, IoT and mobile applications that have a huge potential in the telecom sector,” Kumar said.

IBM’s student developers’ programme (career education) that infuses software capabilities that are industry specific and market relevant has helped more than 24,000 students and faculty members develop industry-relevant software capabilities.

Developers are the new marketers and decision-makers across organisations and it has become imperative to make them the centre of the core strategy.

“We also have collaboration with US-based Galvanize and Coursera to offer cognitive and Cloud curriculum to developers to help them equip with new age requirements around data science and Machine Learning (ML), etc,” the IBM executive said.

In 2017, IBM organised “IBM DeveloperConnect Roadshow” in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad where it offered day-long workshops that combined technical sessions and hands-on activities, led by technical experts from IBM around data science, ML and Cloud.

“We are going to organise the ‘IBM Code’ day for developers in Bengaluru on February 14 which is another step towards introducing the developer community to IBM technologies,” Kumar told IANS.

IBM also has an online learning platform Cognitiveclass.ai that offers several online courses in the area of data science, AI, big data and Blockchain.

“We also work with external Edtech partners who offer structured courses and curriculum based on these technologies. For instance, Jigsaw Academy is leveraging the IBM Data Science experience platform and CognitiveClass.ai to offer advanced customised learning to students and professionals on data science,” Kumar noted.

Similarly, GlobalKnowledge is a training partner offering detailed courses on Cloud and cognitive development, also enabling professional certifications in these domains.

“Today, we are witnessing start-ups adopting Cloud at a fast pace, looking at creating enterprise class solutions and use best practices at a competitive cost, more agile systems and greater efficiency,” Kumar said.

IBM Cloud Private is an integrated Cloud platform built on a Kubernetes-based container architecture.

It is a pre-packaged offering with enterprise-grade content, bringing Cloud native environment to Private Clouds so that start-ups can maintain control over core data while giving developers the flexibility to easily update and launch new apps in a secure manner.

Key challenges, political will top agenda as Crans Montana Forum begins

Dakhla (Morocco), March 16 : With focus on key international challenges like urban global management, ocean economy, food and public health issues and the growing potential of Africa-Asia cooperation, the Crans Montana Forum began on Friday in this western town of Morocco.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Reverend Jesse Jackson, President and Founder of Rainbow Push Coalition, and leaders from several countries joined Jean-Paul Carteron, Honorary Chairman and Founder of the Crans Montana Forum, at the opening ceremony here.

The major focus of the Forum this year is on the Africa and South-South Cooperation.

In his address, Jesse Jackson, one of America’s foremost civil rights figures, stressed on the need to develop and mobilize political will to “end poverty, hunger, illiteracy and killer diseases in the world”.

“Humans have limited but genuine freedom through our individual decisions and our collective politics to make a positive difference in the world. If we can develop and mobilize political will, we will find constructive ways for South-South Cooperation and end the divisions of North and South, rich and poor, powerful and disenfranchised,” Jackson said.

Organized under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, a royal message from the King was read at the Forum’s opening ceremony by Yanja El Khattat, President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab Region, of which Dakhla is a part.

Various speakers at the opening ceremony highlighted the crucial role being played by Morocco to be a platform of gateway to Africa and to highlight the kep challenges being faced by African and other countries.

The conference is being attended by over 3,500 delegates and leaders from various countries and 43 international organizations.

The Forum will discuss the crucial issue of urban global management in view of the increasing rural exodus and the urban planning challenges.

The Forum will also discuss extending the Silk Road to Africa and fostering Asia-Africa partnerships. It will also have sessions on women empowerment and youth empowerment and integration.

Israel PM recreates ‘Oscar’ Moment, poses with Bollywood Celebs

Mumbai, Jan 19: Recreating the viral ‘Oscar selfie’, which featured several Hollywood stars in one picture, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday night, posed with Bollywood actors as a sign of the “great friendship” between India and Israel.

Baby Moshe is currently in India, for his first visit back since the 26/11 attacks.

Netanyahu Addressed the India-Israel Business Summit and spoke about how two nations that are as focused on innovation as India and Israel , should come together to “define the future” at the India-Israel Summit he was addressing in Mumbai on Thursday, reports ANI.

I also visited iCreate, an impressive hub where brilliant young minds come to solve problems. I was particularly impressed with a 14-year-old boy. This was slumdog millionaire. He produces drone which goes up the sky & identifies landmines, it'll save lives: #BenjaminNetanyahupic.twitter.com/WOEMxlGKbJ

Israeli Prime Minister had a packed schedule for the last leg of his India visit. Israel PM met with several Indian CEOs in Mumbai on Thursday morning, where he said that the “future belongs to those who innovate”.

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu meets Indian CEO's in Mumbai, says, future belongs to those who innovate. Our job is to encourage you to innovate. Partnership between India & Israel is doing wonders. I have a strong personal friendship with PM Modi. pic.twitter.com/85YWMpyGls

Later in the day he will pay tributes to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack victims. There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, following which he will visit Nariman House and the Chabad Centre.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara, reached Mumbai on Wednesday evening as per schedule, after being received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ahmedabad in the morning.

The visit assumes significance given Israel’s reputation as being the global hub for start-ups. The Israeli prime minister also presented Modi a special gift — the Gal-Mobile water desalinisation and purification jeep the two leaders rode at Israel’s Olga beach last year.

The two leaders to a traditional reception at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad after an 8-km roadshow from the airport. Netanyahu, known as Bibi in Israel, and his wife Sara also tried their hand at the iconic Charkha as Modi looked on.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and wife Sara visited the Taj Mahal on Tuesday afternoon after a brief meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. They stayed at the Taj Complex for a few hours, posed for photos and learnt about the 17th century monument.

The Israeli Prime Minister first dropped in at a five-star hotel in Agra from where he directly went to see the Taj. The couple are expected to return to Delhi to take part in the Raisina Dialogue, in which Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver an inaugural speech at 4:30 pm.

Tight security arrangements have been made for the VVIP visit and the Taj, the ivory white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna, will be closed for common visitors till the Israeli Prime Minister leaves.

No car or person was allowed to be in a periphery of 500 metres around the Taj since morning.

On Monday, India and Israel signed nine MoUs, including key bilateral agreements in cyber cooperation, film cooperation, science and technology. Speaking on Monday at the joint press conference, featuring the two leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “My good friend, Bibi welcome to India, your visit marks a special beginning to our New Year calendar.”

Reciprocating the gesture, Netanyahu called PM Narendra Modi a revolutionary leader and said:” With Modi, I feel like I am in a rock concert. The Israeli premier said the Jews of India never experienced anti-semitism in 2,000 years.

India-Israel MOUs

India and Israel sign MOU on – cooperation in oil and gas sector, a protocol on amendments to air transport agreement, agreement on film co-production, field research in homoeopathic medicine, cooperation in the field of space, letter of intent to invest in India, cooperation in metal battery and cooperation in solar thermal energy.

Netanyahu will be accompanied by his wife Sara as they will leave for Agra to see Taj Mahal on Tuesday. On the same day, he will visit Delhi and participate in the Raisina Dialogue, where he is scheduled to deliver an inaugural speech.

Netanyahu will leave for Ahmedabad on the fourth day of his tour and visit the Sabarmati Ashram. The minister will also attend an event at the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology. He will later visit the Centre of Excellence, Vadrad. After which, the minister will leave for Mumbai.

On Thursday, Netanyahu will have a power breakfast with Indian CEOs and attend a business seminar. He will also lay a wreath at Taj Hotel Mumbai and pay a visit to Nariman House – Chabad Centre.

He will also reach out to Bollywood personalities in an exclusive ‘Shalom Bollywood’ event, that aims at exploring business opportunities for Indian filmmakers in Israel.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set aside protocol to receive his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrived in New Delhi for a historic six-day visit. Modi welcomed Netanyahu with a hug upon his arrival. According to Israeli officials, Netanyahu was pleasantly surprised by Modi welcoming him at the airport. “I very much appreciate the gesture,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by officials.

Delhi’s Teen Murti Chowk has been renamed Teen Murti Haifa Chowk by PM Modi and his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu. The renaming was done in memory of the supreme sacrifice by Indian soldiers to liberate Haifa in Israel in 1918.

Netanyahu who is accompanied by his wife had a brief conversation with Swaraj after renaming the Teen Murti Haifa Chowk in the capital.

India shouldn’t replicate China’s urbanisation models: NITI Aayog VC

Instead of replicating foreign models that may lead to inequitable and unbalanced urbanisation, India needs to create growth hubs across the country, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Thursday.

Given India’s diversity, it cannot afford “inequitable and unbalanced urbanisation”, he said.

“It’s unfortunate that we continuously look for foreign models…

We cannot let India replicate what China has done,” Rajiv Kumar said during the national workshop on “Municipal Finance and Effective & Accelerated Implementation of Smart Cities” here.

He said that development in China had happened only along the coastline whereas other areas had remained backward, forcing millions of people to move inward to their homelands during the Chinese New Year and India cannot have millions of people moving from one part of the nation to the other on festivals like Diwali or Holi.

“To minimise the presence of dualistic structure and to connect villages with all the urban facilities, we need to introduce the concept of ‘rurban’,” he said.